Iran Agrees To Negotiate

Yes, Iran has decided it be best if they talk to the West rather than shaking their swords:

Iran said Sunday that Western incentives to halt its nuclear program were an "acceptable basis" for talks, and it is ready for detailed negotiations.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice responded that Iran should talk directly to negotiators if it wants to discuss the six-nation proposal.

Frustrated world powers agreed Wednesday to send Iran to the U.N. Security Council for possible punishment, saying Tehran had given no sign it would bargain in earnest over its nuclear ambitions.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi told reporters in Tehran that, "We consider this package an appropriate basis, an acceptable basis (for talks)."

"Now is an appropriate opportunity for Iran and Europe to enter detailed negotiations," he said. "Sending the dossier to the U.N. Security Council means blocking and rejecting talks."

Asefi called on the eight major world powers meeting in St. Petersburg, Russia, to choose dialogue with Iran.

"We can achieve acceptable results in this path," Asefi said.

All right, is anyone else's skin crawling yet? Frankly speaking, I am unimpressed by this move by Iran. Captain Ed Morrissey gets the nod for this story. This came as a surprise to many, including us, because Iran has never decided they needed to deal with anyone other than themselves, the nations they have treaties with, and those they continue to subjugate.

But, things have changed. The Middle East is erupting again with the stupidity of Hamas and Hezbollah provoking Israel into a war. WE still believe that Iran is behind that little conflict, which is another reason why this move is a surprise. Of course, that was before the Arab League and the United Nations condemned Hezbollah for its actions, and standing behind Israel's right to defend herself.

All of sudden, someone got left out in the cold.

And, as Captain Ed points out, the UNSC just hit North Korea with sanctions yesterday. Whether they admit it or not, North Korea has been helping them as much as any member of the AQ Khan network does. That, many forget, is a direct line from Iran to North Korea, and there is no doubt that North Korea has been sharing technology with Iran since the break-up of that network. (However, on the heels of North Korea's missile test, if I were President Ahmadinejad, I would seriously reconsider any "technical assistance" rendered on my missiles from North Korea.)

Now, whether Iran can be trusted to abide by any agreement they participate in is questionable, at best. WE still maintain that this is 1934 all over again. The Munich Accords are about to be negotiated, and as soon as Iran is able to build a bomb, the accords will be ripped up as quickly as they were by Hitler.

The West must hold firm to what they want, and what they intend to prevent. And because we are to take point on the negotiations, we need to make sure we are not undercut by any of our allies as we were under Oil-For-Food. Saddam used his ill-gotten money to rebuild his military, ally himself with terrorists in the region to wage a proxy war on the United States, and to continue his work on weapons of mass destruction. That is the last thing we want to do, and we have experience in this realm from before. Or have we forgotten that the Clinton administration was duped by North Korea?

If the West fails at this, or goes in half-hearted, the next time Kim Jong-Il does shake his fist, some nation in the West might be sorry for not acting when they had the chance to.

Marcie